French Toast Casserole

Sunday was a lovely day - it was a church potluck day. This one was a bit different as it was a breakfast potluck, giving everyone the chance to show off a different set of skills from the normal lunch or dinner on the grounds. I happened to be at my in-laws house when I was making my shopping list and told my mother-in-law that I was planning to make fab friend Lisa's French toast casserole recipe - a delicious custardy bread pudding with praline topping.

Sunday morning is not my forte. Perhaps it is rebellion against my upbringing as a church planter's daughter - being hauled hither and yon across Southern Africa every Sunday of my childhood -  that makes me sluggish and disorganized on the first day of the week. Whatever the cause, I have difficulty being on time for church. Now that I have two children, difficultly has become impossibility. Thus, As a result of being 25 minutes late to the potluck, there was quite a bit of French toast casserole left over. (You would think the promise of food would get me to church faster, but you would think wrong.)

Not wanting to spend all Sunday compromising my diet by stealing bites of pecan encrusted leftovers, I asked my husband to sneak the remains of the casserole into my mil's kitchen while the in-laws were still at church. It was greatly enjoyed, I understand, and my mil asked for the recipe. So, here it is....

French Toast Casserole

1 loaf French bread, cut into 1 inch slices
8 eggs
1 cup milk
2 cups half and half

dash of salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom

Place bread slices, overlapping, in a buttered 9x13" pan. Mix remaining ingredients just until blended and pour over bread. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.

For topping, mix with a hand mixer:

2 sticks softened butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp dark agave nectar
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Spread topping over casserole. Bake at 350F for 40 minutes. Let it stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.

My fil advises that it is even better the second day:)

Sexy Mexi Casserole

Sometimes, being pregnant, I decide that I want to eat something weird - like Mexican food and pancake mix. Thankfully, this (unlike my craving for bacon wrapped cheese in chocolate sauce) turned out to be something that everyone enjoyed. 

Sexy Mexi Casserole

1 lb ground chicken

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 cans great northern beans

1 can condensed cream of tomato soup

cumin, cayenne  pepper, and cilantro to taste

2 cups pancake mix + water as indicated by box

1. Brown the chicken in a medium skillet over medium heat. 

2. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, peppers, onions, and beans. Season to taste with cumin, cayenne, and cilantro. Stir in soup. 

3. Spoon chicken mixture into the bottom of a large casserole dish. 

4. Mix 2 cups pancake mix with water per box instructions (do not use the pancake mix that requires you to add milk, oil, etc - use the water only mix). Pour batter over the chicken mixture in the casserole dish. 

5. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until pancake topping is golden brown. Serve with sour cream and cheese if desired. 

Santa Fe Enchilada Bake

This recipe (which I found on the back of a package of cheese) was delicious and far less labor intensive than making actual enchiladas. I put it together the night before, so that I only had to bake it when I got home from work.

Santa Fe Enchilada Bake
1 lb chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cups salsa
12, 6" corn tortillas
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups finely shredded Mexican style cheese

Spray a large skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Saute chicken, onion, and green pepper until chicken is cooked through. Stir in salsa and corn. Arrange 6 tortillas on the bottom of a 13x9" baking dish. Cover with layers of 1/2 each chicken, sour cream, and cheese. Repeat layers. Cover with foil. Bake 40 minutes or until heated through, removing foil after 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.